Tuesday, May 24, 2016

The following is a writing I have never put "out there" before. Here are excerpts; numbers 17 through 23 from "55 Reasons;" a piece I wrote nearly 12 years ago (now.) As you can most assuredly guess, they are 55 reasons...not to give up. Accompanying them are a series of photos to calm and to reassure. (I wrote this during and after a very difficult time in my life. They helped me pass through a firestorm of bad circumstance...)

(Asheville, NC church door)

(Small mountain waterfall somewhere near Boone, NC)

17.
R-E-L-E-A-S-E. Find and offer up your (own) individual 'release valve' and allow God to show
you the mechanisms and the coping strategies for releasing negative energy,
tension, all fear and every intonation(even...) of self-doubt.
Release guilt. Face your past and release past memories that
haunt you or bind you up. Release your anger from the past.
Apprehend help in this processif you require it friend. There is
no shame in this. We are all 'in process' (a little 'Wayne Dyer'
here; :) how right he was...)

Finally, release your
fears one by one-both the large 'monster' fears and the creepy-crawly
ones.You must face your (own) fear friend. Own it. Face it.
And subdue it.

Recognize that God
Himself designed you with such a release valve; He designed you
with purpose, a set place and to here be released... to
be... made... whole. Fully functioning and fully... 'released' in your wholeness.
To be released is to be made whole.

(Photo of a tree my husband took)

18. Recognize that
man was born for adversity. From each day itself, there will arise trouble,
that will be sufficient for the day in and of itself. This is how life works.
I want you to ask yourself this- if trouble arises each and every day,
and man was born for adversity; is there not something inherent
within each one of us that would equip us or enable us to overcome trouble?? To
be catapulted to individual greatness...on the wings of trouble (even)? Think
about it. I contend that <trouble> is all about
recognizing who you are...

Have the faith
requiredto believe God... that He (alone) issufficient
in and of ((Himself.)) He will meet you at the point of
your need... and that Hewill deliver you out of the midst
of all of your trouble.

(There is a fourth
man in the firefriend; even when the heat gets HOT.)

(Photo of a front yard rose in Boone, NC entitled "Inner Flame.")

19. ROLL it. A very
wise kindergarten teacher taught her class; when the burdens of your heart are
heavy; let Jesus roll the burdens of your heart away. Let Him ROLL the STONE
away today (from your heart)... instead of giving up to the pressures and the
burdens of life that you carry, cast your cares upon the Lord, for He cares
for you.

(Hawk's Beak, as seen from Blowing Rock, NC)

20. Help someone else
whom you can regard as being WORSE offthan you. I
know that it sounds trite.....and f-a-r t-o-o simple,
but it is truly an effective strategy for pulling yourself OUT of the
quagmires, the rocks and the crevices of life. Help someone else friend.
And you will be helping yourself (too.)

21. Are you (overly)
stressed and well...really and truly burnt up and fried out? You must take the
time for important enjoyment and to de-stress in life. This is an essential key
to happiness that one must employ (to overcome.) So- take a trip! Walk the
beach or the forest path; behold the sun, the moon and the stars or a simple
flower. It is a thing of beauty. All of nature sings praise. It can help
you find a song of love that pervades all of nature (a heart song really...) and of admiration, too. Take
a moment...to be refreshed and to be renewed. All of nature will cooperate
with you friend.

22. Remove the red
flags of life. Are there issues and problems that you CAN deal with...but
haven't?? Have you begun to procrastinate?? Remove these obstacles (those that
you can) and you will find r-e-l-e-a-s-e. It's like you're snagged on a rock...
begin again... today, to float the current of life.

23. Find an eddy in the current to rest. Perhaps God is speaking "Rest" to your soul, friend.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

I know it's not winter...but look at the color in this shot! [I was shuffling through my photos and found this one with its color and texture. It is from somewhere near Sugar Mountain, NC, USA. If you can ever go there you must. The views are stunning. Winter is amazing there. I shot the best winter photos (stark contrast of steel blue winter sky against white that I will ever find...)]

There's nothing better than the natural hues and

striking color variation found...in nature.

Nothing! (Still waiting for color here in good ol' WI)"I'm waiting..."As a girl, I do remember that one time it snowed 5 (inches) on May 5(in Wisconsin, USA...) (Just sayin'):-)